Carnoustie, Scotland …
Alex Noren continued his fondness for Scottish links golf in equalling the Carnoustie course record on the opening day of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
The 34-year old Swede joined nine other players in the past 22-years to have recorded an eight-under par 64 at Carnoustie, and also one of the host courses on the Open Championship rota.
It handed Noren a one stroke lead in the bright but windy conditions, and on one of three host venues this week.
Sweden’s Alex Noren pretty pleased after equalling the Carnoustie course record.
The reigning Scottish Open champion capped his effort in birding four of his closing five holes.
“There was a good few mistakes but it was my lucky day and it just seems that I play well in Scotland, so it’s nice to come off the course here with a 64,” he said.
“The back nine or my front nine was a bit tough and I also felt lucky to be three under for the nine compared to an easier front nine of my back nine today but I just putted extremely well and that was the big key.”
In July, Noren captured a fifth European Tour title in sealing victory in the Scottish Open on the Gil Hanse designed Castle Stuart links course to the east of Inverness.
“I just love links golf and it’s the fact that my deep divots don’t get to be deep playing links courses,” added Noren.
“I have worked hard in my two practice rounds getting back to playing links golf while I also did some good work with my coach.
“I didn’t play unbelievable but just putted really well,”
Indeed, Noren recorded just 24 putts on the course that last played host to the 2007 Open Championship and in the year the Swede had failed to qualify.
“I’ve played plenty of rounds in the Dunhill here at Carnoustie but never in The Open, so hopefully when The Open returns here I will qualify,” he said.
“I have just loved returning to Scotland every year for not only this event but also the Scottish Open and when The Open is in Scotland,” he said.
“The Old Course at St. Andrews is beautiful but then I like all the Scottish links venues we play.”
And to adapt to links golf, the current World No. 29 ranked Noren, replaced one of his hybrid fairway woods with a 2-iron.
“The 2-iron in the bag just for this week but if there was one shot that really delighted me today it was a 4-iron into the my 14th and then a 6-iron pretty close at my 17th hole and both for birdies,” he said.
England’s Ross Fisher is in second place with a seven under par 65 at Kingsbarns to the east of St. Andrews.
Fisher, 35 was one under par after 11 holes but then played the closing seven in six under par and starting with an eagle ‘3’ at his 12th hole.
Spain’s Rafa Cabrera-Bello and fellow Hazeltine rookie, Thomas Pieters of Belgium, was the best of the seven European Ryder Cup players competing this week with rounds of 70 at Carnoustie.
And unlike the pro-USA atomsphere at the Ryder Cup, Pieters was delighted to enjoy ‘home’ support.
“It’s great to be back in Europe as everybody is on my side here so that nice,” he said smiling.
“I had an interesting start. I’m still very tired mentally but I started off with a drive at the 10th and then shanked my 4-iron but managed to get up-and-down from a hundred yards for a par.
“So it was a weird way to open the championship”.
Masters champion Danny Willett was two over after just three holes before signing for a one over par 73 and also at Carnoustie.
“It was good out there as we had nice little following all day,” said Willett.
“Even though it’s been freezing cold and pumping sideways, the fans have still come out and watched all the way around, which has been lovely.
“Also, I have a lot of the family up here again this week, which is nice.”
However Hazetline colleague Matthew Fitzpatrick, who defends his British Masters title next week, struggled posting three birdies but also just as many bogeys along with a triple bogey and a quadruple bogey to near the tail of the field with a 77 also at Carnoustie.
